As we continue our Family Values Part 1 – What Family? The Covenant Family! focus,we turn today to the covenant family as seen through King David and his descendants. While the view we saw yesterday was steeped in hundreds of laws given by God to Moses, today we turn to God’s relationship with one man–David, a poor shepherd boy who God chose over the then ruling king, Saul. Although David would not become king for decades, the great prophet, Samuel was told by God to anoint Him as king. Eventually God would tell David that He was going to establish his family line as the permanent line of kings in Israel. While we’re speaking of the covenant family, we must understand that during the period of the monarchy, the king was considered by many as God’s “son.” He was also considered to be the Lord’s “anointed one.” Both of these terms are ultimately used of Jesus who is God’s only “natural” son, in that He IS God, and He is certainly God’s anointed one, who was set apart to bring about the salvation of the world. We’re getting ahead of the story, but it’s important for us to remember that when God established David as King, he was establishing the permanent line or family of the kingdom in Israel and according to biological lineage, Jesus was descended from King David through Mary. To get back to David, though, we need to turn to 2 Samuel 7:8ff. Here God is giving David the promise that his line will last forever through the prophet, Nathan:

2 Samuel 7:8-17 (NIV)“Now, then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth 10And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 11and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies. The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you. 12When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” 17Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.” 2 Samuel 7:8-17 (NIV) The prophesy makes it clear that David would be blessed, and that his immediate descendant, Solomon would build the Temple (which he did!) and that a descendant of David would be king forever. (That prophecy has also come true through Jesus Christ, and it cannot come through anyone else, since the lines of all Jewish people have been wiped out through history.) For today, the key for us is to see that God is so personal that when He wanted to implement the plan for His covenant family fully, He chose a particular family to represent them all-the line of David, which is also the tribe of Judah. Throughout the period of the monarchy, God continued to seek to bless His people through the line of David. The problem was David and his descendants were human, so God’s perfect plan was never carried out with perfection. David sinned with Bathsheba, which caused ongoing trouble for the rest of his reign. Solomon started off well and for many years was the wisest man who ever lived. He ruled fairly, and made alliances with the kings of other nations through marrying their daughters. All seemed well, but Solomon’s foreign wives led him to worship foreign gods. This ultimately led to God’s judgment. When Solomon passed the kingdom on to Rehoboam his son, Rehoboam knew only the wealth and ease of his father’s kingdom, which had been at peace on all sides. He challenged the people too much with the burden he would place on them as their king, and the kingdom divided. While God kept his promise to David that one of his descendants would always be on the throne, now that was of the southern kingdom, and it would have a physical end in 597 B.C. when the Israelites were carried off to exile in Babylon. Throughout the exile, and throughout the re-establishment of the Kingdom, even as a “puppet” government under Rome, David’s descendants continued to sit on the throne, until Jesus came. More on that tomorrow! As we finish today, it’s important for us to see that God has a plan for us and even when we reject it or mar it nearly beyond recognition, He doesn’t give up on us!

For our application project today, re-read 2 Samuel 7:8-17. As you read God’s promises to David put yourself in David’s place and ask yourself, “What would such a promise mean to me?” Take some time to reflect on that, and then choose one aspect of the promise that you can apply in your life right now–then apply it!

Heavenly Father, Thank You for establishing Your covenant with all of us and with each of us! Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may act as Your child and live obediently in everything You ask of me. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.